Don't Fear the Reaper
by Steeltalon
Summary: Fingers, stained with blood, gently brushed over the snakelike features, smearing the paler than usual skin with streaks of scarlet. “…Potter…?” “Hush,” the young savior murmured. “Save your breath. Don’t try to speak.” Songfic. Character deaths.
1. Chapter 1

"_SECTUMSEMPRA!"_

The final curse cast in a long, bloody battle, was not the one many expected. Wide eyes, a few dropped jaws here and there. The fighting had frozen, some in the midst of forming a spell.

But the victor kept his gaze locked on his nemesis'. Slender fingers clutched at the long, deep gash in the dying man's chest. Red eyes were wide with disbelief, even as the Darkest Lord of the century fell to his knees, gasping for breath and bleeding out on the already crimson-stained earth.

Harry Potter slowly strode toward his life-long enemy, until he was able to kneel beside Voldemort and pull the Dark Lord's head into his lap. Fingers, stained with blood, gently brushed over the snakelike features, smearing the paler than usual skin with streaks of scarlet.

"…Potter…?"

"Hush," the young savior murmured. "Save your breath. Don't try to speak."

Those watching were stunned, angry, and confused. Lucius Malfoy, bloodstained and injured, watched through narrowed silver eyes. Bellatrix Lestrange uttered a low hiss of rage and denial. Severus Snape was ignoring the blood dripping off his chin from a long gash over his cheek in favor of studying Potter. Ron and Hermione stared as their friend treated the Dark Lord like an old friend, as Voldemort lay dying in his lap, staining Harry's robes with more blood.

In the dead silence, Harry's voice carried easily as he began to sing in hushed tones to the man who had killed his parents…and the spectators watched in either disbelief or stunned silence as tears filled the hero's eyes.

"All our times have come

Here but now they're gone

Seasons don't fear the Reaper

Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain

We can be like they are

Come on, baby…don't fear the Reaper

Baby, take my hand…don't fear the Reaper

We'll be able to fly…don't fear the Reaper

Baby, I'm your man…"

Lucius narrowed his eyes further. What…in the hell was going on?

In contrast, Severus' eyes had widened. Was…was Potter really _comforting_ the Dark Lord? Had Potter guessed at Voldemort's fear of death?

Voldemort's breaths were becoming slower, but the red eyes never left Potter's tear-filled green ones. How had Harry known...his greatest fear? Why was he soothing the passage to death? Why was Potter weeping for him as he drew breath with increasing difficulty?

Why was Potter mourning his death?

"Valentine is done

Here but now they're gone

Romeo and Juliet

Are together in eternity

Romeo and Juliet…

Forty thousand men and women every day…like Romeo and Juliet

Forty thousand men and women every day…redefine happiness

Another forty thousand coming every day…we can be like they are…"

As Harry sang, he pulled a dagger from his sleeve. Voldemort's eyes widened in realization, and he tried to scream out in refusal.

"No, Harry!" Hermione cried, seeming to come to the same conclusion as she tried to rush forward. Severus restrained her, shaking his head. None of them could…or should…stop Potter.

"Come on, baby…don't fear the Reaper

Baby, take my hand…don't fear the Reaper

We'll be able to fly…don't fear the Reaper

Baby, I'm your man

Love of two is one…"

Harry positioned the dagger above his heart, still looking down into Voldemort's eyes, still singing softly. He knew he was crying…he knew why he had to do this. He knew why he had to join the Dark Lord in death.

"Here but now they're gone

Came the last night of sadness

And it was clear we couldn't go on

The door was open and the wind appeared

The candles blew and then disappeared

The curtains flew then he appeared

Saying don't be afraid…"

"Don't do this," Voldemort breathed, trying to make the teen…no…young man see sense. Harry smiled. His hands, poised to thrust the blade into his heart, never faltered. His voice, soft, yet powerful, grew even softer.

"Come on, baby…and we had no fear

And we ran to him…then we started to fly

We looked back to say goodbye

We had become like they are

We had taken his hand

We had become like they are…"

And as Voldemort began to gasp for breath more desperately, not wanting himself or Harry to die, one of the young man's hands left his dagger's hilt to caress Voldemort's face with the gentleness of a soft summer breeze.

"Come on, baby…" Harry sang more softly still, taking back his hand when the Dark Lord's eyes began to glaze over and preparing to stab himself. He was almost whispering, as he sang the last words of his song. "…Don't fear the Reaper…"

Then, in a swift motion at the exact moment Voldemort stopped breathing, he plunged the dagger home.

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed.

OoOoO

Voldemort groaned and pushed himself to his knees. He was dead. He looked around him. His chest began heaving as he felt the beginnings of a panic attack. He was dead…dead, dead, dead! No…no, no, no!

A slender, tanned hand came into his vision. Without thinking, he grasped it as if it were a lifeline, and was hauled to his feet. He looked up and found himself meeting the warm green gaze of Harry Potter.

"Don't fear the Reaper, Tom," Harry murmured. "Don't fear death."

"You shouldn't be here," the Dark Lord murmured. Harry cocked his head.

"I'm right where I need to be," the younger man said with a small smile. He backed away from Voldemort, slowly. "Come on. I can hear my parents calling."

For a moment, Voldemort's eyes went wide. "Your parents…I can't go with you."

"Of course you can. You aren't Voldemort, Darkest Lord of the century here. You're just Tom." He smiled again. "And Tom didn't kill them."

Hesitantly, Voldemort followed Harry as the young man began walking away.

Maybe…death wasn't so bad after all. Maybe he had nothing to worry about.


	2. AN

**Someone pointed out that I didn't give credit for the song. I realized they're right - I forgot because I wrote this fanfic while half-asleep - so here it is.**

**"Don't Fear the Reaper" is by Blue Oyster Cult.  
**


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